Shattered Confessions
by Queen-of-the-Merry-Men
Summary: Regina and Henry meet during the curse of shattered sight and make some devastating confessions. Can mother and son ever forgive each other for what was said?
1. Chapter 1

"Mom?"

Everything went still for a minute. Her hand was stilled buried in Snow's chest just waiting to pull out her heart and crush it. She'd waited so long, more than three decades for this moment, only to be interrupted by her son. She reluctantly pulled her hand out of Snow's chest, heartless, and turned to face her Henry. When her brown eyes made contact with his green she immediately felt a burst of light. In one second she could remember every bedtime story, Sunday morning pancake, and hug she'd ever had with him. This was her son. She loved him. But as much as she wanted to hold on to that light… the curse was stronger. In less than a second every temper tantrum passed through her mind. Every fight, every rejection, every time he had stripped of her of the title of "mom" and given to that little blonde curse breaker. She could feel it all at once and the pain of it wasn't going away.

"Oh! So now I'm your mom?" she said stepping over Snow's unconscious body. She stalked towards him in all her Evil Queen glory. "I thought that title went to Emma now?"

"What?" said Henry. The only time he had ever seen his mother this way was in the book. But a still picture couldn't capture the terror that stood in front of him now. In evil queen mode he could swear his mother looked two feet taller. It was like all the rage the in the world had settled inside her and it was just bleeding out. The tension in the sheriff's station was thicker than butter. "What do you mean? What are you doing?"

"Well I was about to complete a lifelong dream before you interrupted…again." She said sarcastically. Regina couldn't believe that she had allowed her revenge to go unfulfilled due to this boy. He had never loved her the way he was supposed to.

"Mom stop. This isn't you." Or maybe it was, he thought. The curse began to seep its way into his heart. All the times he asked for the truth and all the times he had begged her to change she had never truly come through. She always reverted. "But I guess I'm not surprised," he said. "Every time you try to change you always slip."

Regina felt her anger rise again. "How dare you! The only reason I even tried to change was for you to love me but I could never be good enough for you! You only had room for one mom in your heart and as soon as you found out we weren't blood you decided that it would never be me."

"I'm so sorry I didn't want the hands that slaughtered hundreds of innocent lives cutting the crusts off my sandwiches!" yelled Henry. "You are the Evil Queen! And as soon as I found that out I knew there was no way that you could love me no matter how much you tried to prove it!"

"And you, my son, are an ungrateful little brat!" Regina seethed. "Do you have any idea how much time and effort I spent trying to raise you! I fed you, I clothed you, I soothed you after every pathetic nightmare and sickness! And what do I have to show for it? Your constant rejection! I adopted you because I thought if I loved you enough maybe you would love me too. Henry you were supposed to be the one piece of light of in my life but instead you've caused me more pain than anyone in the world!"

"I caused you pain?" said Henry with a shocked look. How dare she ignore everything she had done to him? She always loved to play the victim. "Have you even thought for one second about the emotional trauma you have caused in my life?! For ten years you imprisoned me in that tomb of a house with no company but yourself. I never had any friends because you were so busy striking fear into the hearts of everyone in town that no one would risk coming to our house. And when I finally break away and find my birth mother, my real mother I should say, you immediately try to chase her off because of your own insecurities. And when she was strong enough to stand up to you your only solution was to kill her but- oh wait- that didn't work out because you almost killed me instead!"

"That's because your idiot charming genetics thought that the only way to prove the truth was to put yourself on a gurney!" screamed Regina. "My god! You and Snow and Charming and Emma have a hero complex the size of Texas and I am so sick of having to save your asses when that bravery almost kills you!"

"Well guess what? That won't ever have to be your problem again because as of right now I am through with you!" said Henry. And in that moment he had never meant anything more in his entire life. With this anger everything was finally so clear. She had never loved him and never could. She was the evil queen. Not his mother. There would be no more second chances for her.

She almost wanted to hurt him. To incinerate him on the spot for being so ungrateful. But she couldn't. The tiny spark of light in her heart wouldn't allow it. "Get out." she growled. "And make sure I never have to lay eyes on your face again."

As he left the police station she watched him. She could almost feel a drop of sadness in her soul but she didn't focus on it. Instead she lit a fireball in her hand. She had a snowflake to melt.


	2. Chapter 2

**So I decided to continue. There was no way I could leave the story ending like that.**

The curse had ended in a blast of light magic much like they all do. When Anna and Elsa were finally reunited the forgiveness Elsa had for Anna's entrapment of her had cured every citizen of the glass in their hearts.

Luckily for Snow the Evil Queen had a habit for monologues. She was ranting with Snow's heart in hand when the curse finally broke. One minute away from destroying her enemy when the glass was lifted from her heart. She instantly fell to her knees. How could she do that to her son? Let him hear all the nasty things she had buried deep in her mind?

When the anger finally left Henry's heart it was replaced by thick layer of horror. The things that he had said to his mother and the things that she had said in return, they were haunting him. They rattled in his head so much he had to sit down for a minute. He hadn't spoken so harshly to her in years and even back then he never meant it like he did with the curse.

Over the next week Storybrooke was an awkward place to be. The Snow Queen had been defeated but the pain her curse had caused still lingered. People who once were loving families could hardly look each other in the eyes now. Even the Charming clan was experiencing their own difficulties. Snow and David were still dealing with what had occurred between them while they were locked up. However the biggest wedge was still between Henry and Regina. They hadn't spoken to each other since that night in the station. They were both too afraid of what the other would say to seek each other out.

In an effort to forget about her emotional problems with her son Regina had taken to helping Snow deal with damage done to town during the final battle with the Snow Queen. She tried to bury herself in the work but Snow, like always, had taken it upon herself to butt into Regina's life.

"So?" started Snow. "Have you spoken to Henry yet?"

Regina took a deep breath before looking up from the construction papers on her desk. Of course Snow would bring up Henry. "No Snow I haven't but I'm sure you already knew that."

"Regina I'm just worried about you two." Snow knew she had to tread carefully with this conversation. Regina was never one to be open with her emotions. She would most likely hide behind sarcasm and insults.

"Don't you have your own crumbling relationship to focus on?" Regina regretted those words as soon as they left her mouth. She knew Snow and David were having a difficult time moving past what was said during the curse. And she could understand more than anyone how that felt. "I'm sorry Snow. I shouldn't have said that."

"No you're right," said Snow. "David and I have been having some trouble connecting since the curse. The only difference between us and you is that we're actually trying to deal with it."

Snow took a minute to calm herself before continuing. Her relationship with David was a bit of a sore spot for her lately. They had been truly cruel to each other before Regina entered the sheriff's station that night. "We've started seeing Dr. Hopper actually. Couples counseling you know?"

"Really?" asked Regina. She never took Snow and David as the therapy types. She always assumed that their deep faith and belief was how they got through everything.

Snow nodded. "It's actually been helping a lot. We know the curse was the reason we said those awful things to each other and it was the reason we believed them so intensely. But it didn't put those thoughts in our heads. They'd always been there we just chose not to believe them. They weren't supposed to come out like they did but now that they have we can't just ignore them. The same way you and Henry can't ignore what you said to each other."

Regina felt a tear go down her cheek. She wiped it away hastily. "You know when I first held him in my arms the day of the adoption it was the first genuine love I had felt for anything in nearly twenty years. It was the most terrifying feeling in the world for me.

"I spent so many years drowning myself in the darkness and hate that I thought just by touching him it would bleed into his soul. I promised myself that day that I would shove all those negative feelings down and make sure that he never saw me how I was in the enchanted forest. And I have failed so miserably at that these past four years. From the minute he got that storybook."

Snow grabbed Regina's hand silently encouraging her to go on. After that the floodgates opened for Regina. She didn't know why but these past couple years Snow has become one of the only people she could truly be vulnerable with. "I loved him so much but I loved him in all the wrong ways. He used to look at me like I was his entire world but when he got that book and came back with Emma it all stopped. He started looking at her like she was everything and I was nothing. So I started manipulating him and terrorizing Emma trying to bring him back to me but it didn't work. I became the Evil Queen again without even realizing it and it almost cost my son his life. And you know what? I might be able to forgive myself for all of that because it wasn't on purpose. I never meant to hurt him. But that night in sheriff's station with the curse I wanted to cause him so much pain. I wanted to hurt him like he'd hurt me and I will never get over that. And I don't think he will either."

Snow handed Regina a tissue. "You don't know that Regina. You and Henry have been through so much together and you've only come out stronger."

"I was so cruel to him Snow."

"I know. I heard what you said to him but I also heard what he said to you." said Snow. Regina looked at her strangely. "I might have been down but I wasn't completely knocked out. You and Henry both said things to hurt each other that night. But it wasn't really you. _She_ is not you. Regina I have known you for years both before and after your dark days. The Evil Queen is not who you are, not anymore. The woman in the station last night was not you. The same way the boy in the station was not Henry."

Both women knew that Regina's struggle with the darkness inside her wasn't over but Snow had seen how far Regina had come. She also knew that the strides she'd made wouldn't have been possible without Henry. The love Regina felt for her son had been her guiding light these past few years and it led her to be a better person. However Snow could also see that Regina still had trouble accepting her own redemption.

"What if he doesn't forgive me for this?" she said with tears in her eyes.

"He will forgive you. I know that," promised Snow. "But that won't happen unless you have this conversation with him."

Regina took a deep breath and nodded. She'd given him his space but she knew it was finally time to talk to her son.

**Coming up next: Henry gets his own advice about what happened that night.**


	3. Chapter 3

**So here's chapter three where we get to see Henry's side of the story. Please review :)**

It had been days since the curse and Emma decided that it was time for Henry to get out of the house. He'd been staying at the Charming loft since the curse broke. Emma was thrilled to have him close but she knew it was only because he was afraid of confronting his other mother. He'd been so withdrawn these last few days. He barely came downstairs and when he did he would hardly speak a word. She had taken him to Granny's to try and cheer him up.

"So kid how about some hot chocolate with cinnamon?" she asked.

"I guess that'd be alright," he replied. Emma frowned. Hot chocolate and cinnamon had always been a surefire way to put a smile on his face but it just didn't have the same effect today.

The bell above the door jingled as Hook walked into the restaurant. He greeted Emma with a kiss. "So how's the lad doing today?"

"Same as yesterday." She said sneaking a look at her son. "I don't know how to bring him out of this."

Hook rubbed his nose nervously. He and Henry had connected in the weeks before he got his memory back and he genuinely cared for the boy. He didn't like seeing him so despondent. "I know this might not be my place Swan, but would you mind if I had a talk with Henry."

Emma scrunched her face in confusion. She was a little uncertain when it came to having Hook in Henry's life. She knew that they had formed a relationship of sorts before the Wicked Witch was defeated but that was before she and Hook had started dating. It's not like she was crazy to be cautious. The last boyfriend she had let into Henry's life had turned into a monkey and tried to kill her. "What makes you think you can help?"

"I happen to know something about seeing your parent when they're at their absolute worst," he replied. Hook rarely spoke about his relationship with his father. If anyone asked about it he only said that he left when he was a boy to never return. He hated to dredge up his history with the man but he would do it if there was a chance to help Henry.

Emma thought for a moment before walking back over to Henry. "Change of plans kid. I got a call about a disturbance so Killian's going to look after you while I check it out, okay?"

"Fine," said Henry shrugging his shoulders. Emma gave Hook a nervous before she left. He tried to comfort her as much he could using only his eyes.

"Get your cocoa to go Henry, we're heading down to the docks."

Weeks ago Grumpy had asked for Hook's help to repair his old boat. Now normally Hook wasn't one for charity work but there was something about being on any type of sea vessel that calmed him. He always knew what he was doing on a boat. He could be perfectly in control. That's what made it seem like the perfect place to have his conversation with Henry. There was also the added bonus that as long as they were in the water the boy wouldn't be able to storm off if things got uncomfortable.

He had told Henry that they were testing the boat to make sure that all the repairs held up in the water. Setting up the boat had been relatively easy and it was holding up just fine but that was the easy part. Now that they were on the water Hook was having difficulty finding a way to start the conversation. Luckily for him, Henry wasn't one for hesitation. "I know my mom told you to talk to me," he yelled from the deck.

"Now how would you know that?"

"She said she got a call but her phone didn't ring. She gave you a nervous look before she left and you've now taken me on a boat which you always do when you want to connect with me somehow. "he answered.

Hooked smiled to himself. The boy must've got his perception from his mother. "Well you are right we are going to have a conversation but your mother didn't ask me to do it. I asked to her to talk to you."

Henry looked at Hook dubiously. "Please tell me you're not asking permission to propose because the last guy who did it tried to kill her and I don't think she's over that yet."

"Well that's somewhat disappointing lad but that not what this is about," said Hook taking a seat on the deck. "As a matter of fact this about your other mother Regina."

Henry went rigid with the mention of his mother. He hadn't talked to or about his mother since the curse broke. That night in the Sheriff's station had revealed a lot of things. Things he didn't necessarily want to address. "I don't want to talk about her right now."

"You haven't wanted to talk about her for a week now so I'm not surprised." Replied Hook. "If you're not willing to talk then maybe you can just listen. Have I ever told you about my father Henry?"

Henry shook his head. He'd never really asked Hook about his past.

"Well he wasn't the greatest role model for a young boy." Hook continued. "He wasn't without love but the moments he did have love were few and far between. Sometimes he was a loving father and others he was a violent drunk. When he came home it was coin-toss on which man you would get. A few weeks after my eighth birthday he went out to local pub and my brother and I never saw him again."

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Henry.

"Because I know what it's like to see one side of your parents that you can't reconcile with another" said Hook. "I had a father who would tell me tales of the sea one night and then flip tables and throw dishes at me the next. I was almost half convinced he was two separate people. As much as that man terrified me I would give anything to see him again because there are things I still need to say. The chances of that happening for me are extremely slim but you Henry have a chance to clear the air with your mother. And I think you will regret it more than anything if you don't take that chance. I know your mother hurt your feelings that night-"

"She didn't hurt my feelings!" interrupted Henry. "I hurt hers.

"What do you mean?" asked Hook.

"That night in the sheriff's station my mom didn't really say much about me she just said stuff about how I made her feel. I was the one insulting her. I kept screaming at her that she was the Evil Queen and there was no way she could truly love me. I was awful to her." He explained looking at his shoes.

There were few times in his life that Hook could say he was genuinely surprised but this was one of them. This entire time he and Emma were so sure that Regina had said something to scare Henry away from her but Henry wasn't mad about what she'd said about him. He was upset about he'd said to her.

"Henry anything that you said that night it wasn't how you truly felt and your mother knows that." Said Hook.

"Today," corrected Henry. "It wasn't how I truly felt today. Before Emma came I felt like there was no way that my mom could truly love me."

"Henry just because she was the evil queen in her past doesn't she hasn't changed enough to love you. We've all seen how far she's come."

"It wasn't about the evil queen." replied Henry. "Around two years before the curse my mom finally told me that I was adopted. At first it didn't bother me that much I thought it just meant that my mom had chosen me to bring home. But when I went to school I had to hear all the other kids talk about their biological parents and I realized that everyone's parents kept them but for some reason mine didn't. After that I kind of convinced myself that the reason they didn't keep me was because they didn't love me enough. Then I thought if the people who have a blood connection to me couldn't find a reason to love me there was no way my mother ever truly could. I convinced myself that she was only pretending. I believed that so much that I finally just wanted her to admit it. So I started acting out at home. I ran away, I had tantrums, I refused to do my chores. I did everything I could to get her to finally say that she didn't love me."

"She never said it did she?" asked Hook already knowing the answer. If there was one thing anyone in this town knew it was that Regina had always loved her son.

"No she didn't." answered Henry. "I felt so frustrated even Grandma started to notice. That's when she gave me the book. I want to say that I believed in the book because it was true and I could feel it but that's not right. I believed in the book so much because it gave me an explanation. It explained why Emma gave me up; it was because she had a higher destiny and she wanted me to have a safer life than I would have had if I was with her. And my mom was only keeping me around because she knew she could use me against my real mom. I believed that from when I went to get Emma all the way up until she woke me up with true love's kiss. She had finally broken the curse and I thought that it was finally the moment that my mom would stop pretending. Right after she realized the curse broke she walked over to me and I thought for sure that she was going to tell me that she hated me for everything and she never wanted to see me again. Instead she looked me in my eyes and said 'no matter what you think, no matter what anyone tells you, I do love you.' I think that's when I finally started to believe her."

Hook had never heard that part in the story of the first curse. He supposed that was when the queen had truly began her journey of redemption. "I don't understand Henry. If you know that your mother loves you then why have you avoided her for this long?"

"Because every time I tried to put a rift between my mom and me she has never given up on me. She would always seek me out and try to find a way back into my life. This time she didn't seek me out. That night in the station she let me know just how much I had hurt her. All the times I rejected her and told her she wasn't my real mom. The things she said that night didn't scare me because they were mean. They scared me because they were true. I've hurt her so many times before and I think this time she doesn't want to give me a second chance."

"Henry that's not true. In fact if I had to make a wager I would say that the reason your mom hasn't contacted you is because she's afraid."

"You're wrong. My mom's not afraid of anything," said Henry.

"Oh Henry you are forgetting that because of our similar backgrounds I can understand your mother quite well." Countered Hook. He didn't dwell on it much but Hook recognized that he and Regina had very similar paths in life. They had both watched their first loves get their hearts crushed, spent major chunks of their lives searching for revenge and then come to love the child of the person they hated the most. More importantly they had both abandoned their pursuit for revenge for one of love instead. "Because we're so similar I think your mother's biggest fear is the same as my own."

"What's your fear?" asked Henry.

"Losing the person I love the most." He answered honestly. "Henry I think the reason your mother hasn't sought you out is because she's afraid of what you'll say when she does. During the curse you saw your mother at her most unlovable and she might be afraid that you still see her that way. As long as she doesn't talk to you she can still hold onto the hope you'll forgive her for that night."

"But I've already forgiven her."

"She won't know until you tell her." Replied Hook.

Emma stood by her yellow bug near the docks tapping her foot impatiently. Hook was making his way over with Henry and she was still worried about him. She never should've let him had this talk with Henry. It would only make things worse she was sure of it.

"Hey Emma." Said Henry walking to the passenger side of the car.

"Hey kid. How was the boat ride?" she asked awkwardly.

"Pretty good. Would you mind dropping me off at the mansion? I kinda want to see my mom now." He asked.

"Really?" said Emma shocked. "Uh, sure. Yeah." When Henry got into car Emma smiled at Hook and mouthed 'thank you."

**Coming up next: Regina and Henry finally talk about what happened during the curse.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here it is, the final chapter of Shattered Confessions. I want to thank everyone who read, followed and reviewed. This was my first time writing fanfic and I had such a good time. Thanks guys!**

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The big white house that Henry had grown up in had never seemed so intimidating to him. It was a representation of his entire childhood. It's where he learned to walk and talk and read. He and his mother had made so many good memories here. It's where they'd built a life together. Looking at it now made the guilt settling in his stomach so much heavier. He'd abandoned this house just like he'd abandoned those memories.

He walked up to door and opened it with spare key. Walking in the house he found his mother sitting at the dining table with a glass of red wine. She turned to look at him, clearly surprised that he was there. "Henry! What are you doing here?"

His mother had been through a lot but Henry had never seen her look so tired. There were dark circles under her eyes, she didn't have on any lipstick which made her face look so much paler than it really was. She even looked thinner than usual.

"I think we need to talk." he said sitting next to her.

She nodded. "I was just working up to courage to come and find you actually."

They were both silent for a minute, neither completely sure how to start. Regina decided as the parent it was up to her to make the first move.

"Henry –"

"Wait, mom. I would like to say some things first. They're really important things so I need you to promise that you won't say anything until I'm completely finished."

"Okay." Promised Regina.

Henry gulped before starting. "That night in the Sheriff's station has really made me think about our relationship. And about the part that I've played in it. I realize now that I didn't handle it as well as I should have. When I found out that I was adopted I thought that because Emma had given me up she didn't love me. And because my birth mom didn't love me I didn't think that my adoptive mom could either. I just- I wanted you to admit that and I thought the best way to do it was to hurt you. Mom I am sorry for the way that I treated you when I discovered the truth about the adoption and the enchanted forest. I didn't know how to deal with your past so I threw away everything that we had together because I thought it made you easier to understand. I know that night in the station you were at your absolute worst but that doesn't mean that some of the things you said weren't true. I am sorry that I made you feel like you had to fight for a place in my heart because the truth is you have always had the biggest part of it. Even if there was a time when I tried to ignore that."

Regina took a good look at her son. He was no longer her little prince. In fact he was almost the same height as her but that wasn't the change that amazed her. He had become so mature these past few years. He was no longer the little boy who ran around town with a storybook looking to be a hero. He was teenager now. One who truly able to recognize the grey areas in life and still see say what was needed to help the good break through. Hearing Henry speak so honestly about his feelings warmed Regina's heart. She had waited so long to hear those words from him. They felt good but now it was her turn to take responsibility for what she had done.

"Henry it means so much to me to hear you say that but it would be wrong for me to ignore the things I did to you during that time in our lives. During the curse you said that I wanted to poison Emma because I was so insecure about my place in your life. You might have been speaking through the curse Henry but that doesn't mean that it wasn't true. I love you Henry and for a long time I thought the best way to make you love me was to make sure you had no other options. It's why I tried so hard to get Emma to run away from you. And when you found out about the Enchanted Forest I was so afraid. You were the one person I never wanted to see me as the Evil Queen. When you started telling me that's who I was I thought if I knocked Emma off her savior pedestal it would change how you saw me. But I was wrong. Do you remember when you ate that apple turnover?"

Henry nodded.

"When I found out you were under the sleeping curse I was devastated. It was my biggest nightmare. My darkness and pain had finally destroyed you. The thing that really killed me though? I tried to wake you."

"You did?" asked Henry. She'd never told him that. She hadn't told anyone. She would always regard it as her biggest failure in life. Her son in a hospital bed in desperate need of saving and she hadn't been able to come through.

"Emma gave me a few minutes to sit with you. I thought that since I was your mother I could wake you up with true love's kiss. I pressed my lips to your forehead… and nothing happened. At first I thought it was because the magic didn't work the same here but in my heart I knew that wasn't true. I put a curse and my revenge above your needs. A true mother would never had done that. When Emma woke you up with the kiss I had never been so grateful for her existence but it confirmed what I already knew. I might have loved you but it wasn't the way you deserved to be loved. It was a selfish love. And I'll always regret it. Henry you will always be my son and I'm sorry that for so long I wasn't able to love you like you needed."

Henry could count on his hand the few times his mother had been this honest with him. He knew she wasn't one for heart-to-hearts so he learned that whenever they occurred they were meant to be taken seriously. Before he discovered the first curse Henry hadn't realized how difficult and complicated loving someone could be. It's not just a feeling you have. It's a skill that you learn and a choice you make. He didn't know much about his adoptive grandmother Cora but he heard that loving wasn't something that she was good as. Her heart was so unused it wasn't even in her chest for over sixty years. Sitting with his mother now Henry could see just how deep and intricate her heart actually was. With the example Cora had set it wasn't surprising that his mother had struggled with loving for so long but she was still strong enough to recognize it and change. It's what made her so amazing. He leaned over and gave her an unexpected hug.

"I've really missed you mom," said Henry.

"I've missed you too sweetheart," said Regina with tears in her eyes. "Do you think you're ready to come back home?"

"Yes," he smiled.

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**I love the regalbeliever relationship so much and I had so much fun writing and exploring their relationship here. My next story is going to feature the Hood-Mills family and their first Christmas together.**


	5. Chapter 5

**freifraufischer and queenofrefinement 's rewatch of the curse of shattered sight inspired me to write this prequel for the first fanfic I ever wrote Shattered Confessions. After the rewatch I thought Snowing could use a dash of angst. Enjoy.**

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Storybrooke was ablaze. People ran through the streets with rage burning in their eyes. Some were searching for specific people, others were fighting whoever they came across first. The Snow Queen's curse had turned the town into a battlefield. The place where even a tiny bit of peace could be found was the sheriff's station, where two of the town's greatest heroes were locked side by side in their cells. Snow White and Prince Charming. Two people with a love so strong they could share a heart, and they couldn't even look at each other. Charming sat on his cot with his back against the wall and wondered how he could've been so stupid as to let his daughter trap him next to his shrew of a wife. Snow was pacing her cell like a caged tiger. Putting her baby in the hands of his older sister had been a horrific mistake. She could the muffled sounds and shattering glass seep in from beyond the station window. He wouldn't be safe out there. Not with Emma.

Charming clenched his fist as the clack of Snow's shoes echoed through the station.

"Sit. Down." He growled.

She swiveled on her heel to face him, her eyebrows knitted together in anger. "No."

"So you're just going to annoy me with the clack of your heels for the rest of eternity?" he sneered. "Fantastic."

She glared at him as she folded her arms across her chest. "I can't believe you're just sitting there while my baby is lost out in that chaos. God, you're as helpful as ever."

Charming blew out a breath as he swung his feet to the ground to face her. "Well, my darling wife, maybe if you hadn't had the stupid idea of locking us up together I could be out there to protect him. But no of course that couldn't happen. Because you, ever the spoiled princess, had an idea and forced it on everyone around you. Classic Snow White."

She chuckled at him as she placed her hands on the cell bars. "Is that how you see it, dear? That I force my wills upon you. That I stomp my feet and demand you do as I say. Please. You and I both know that's not true. The truth is I make all our decisions and all our choices because I'm the only one qualified. This is MY kingdom. And MY throne. The fact that I was foolish enough to marry you gives you no authority."

She scoffed at him. "Prince Charming. What a joke."

"I'm the joke?" he said standing from the cot. "That's really what you think because I can think of more than a few people around town who'd say that you're the joke Snow. You parade around like this strong unbreakable leader but the truth is you're just a scared little girl with mommy issues that's always willing to hoist her problems on the shoulders of others."

"But never on your shoulders, right?" she whispered darkly. "The glass coffin was a fluke. It was the only time you have ever saved me. Make no mistake Charming. You're very pretty. You look good on my arm. You make me beautiful, beautiful children… but beyond that you are useless. No one expects you to solve problems. No one runs to you with issues. That's because everyone knows that despite the fact that you stand by my side you bring nothing to the table."

He tilted his head at her with a smirk. "I'm not so sure Emma agrees with that. You remember her right? Our daughter, the one you couldn't wait to replace."

She snarled at him. "Don't you dare bring Emma into this!"

"And why shouldn't I?" asked Charming. "Remind me again, how long was it after we returned to Enchanted Forest before you jumped my bones and begged me to give you a new baby. A week? It couldn't have been more than a month."

He stared at her with unfeeling eyes. "My god Snow, did you even grieve for her?"

"I wept every day for Emma!" she shouted. "You know that!"

"But she doesn't weep for you now does she?" he spat at her. "You are so obsessed with being her mommy that you don't even take into consideration just how she feels about you inserting yourself into her life like that. She's a grown up Snow! She's not a baby! She doesn't need us to be her parents anymore and you are the only person who refuses to accept that! And every time you try to force it on her she just pulls farther away from us."

"Well I am so sorry that I refuse to play buddy-buddy with her like you do!" she said banging her hands against the bars. "I am her mother! I will always be her mother no matter how old she is. And will put myself in a grave before let her go another day without knowing how much I love her. I might be a little pushy Charming but at least she sees me as her mother. Can she honestly say the same about you?"

"You know what maybe she doesn't see me as her father," admitted Charming. "But at least she sees me as her friend. I'm the one she confides in, not you. And that will never change. Not with your selfish attitude."

"You know what Charming you're right," she said shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not going to settle for just being her friend. I can't. The last time I settled I ended up marrying you. A man who couldn't even save my children from being ripped from my arms. That's not a mistake I'm going to make again."

He shook his head at her. "It is such a tragedy that Emma had to fix our story. I could've been so much happier if I'd never laid eyes on you."

"Now there is something we have in common."

Their heads whipped toward the door at the sound of Regina's voice. She stood in the doorway grinning at them like the cat who caught the canary. Her leather gown trailing behind her as she stepped closer to their cells.

"Well isn't this my lucky day?"

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